Hillary Clinton Testifies Before House Committee, Denies Knowledge of Epstein’s Crimes

photo credit: The guardian

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability that she had no prior knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities, as she testified behind closed doors for nearly six hours.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Clinton said she welcomed efforts to uncover the truth but expressed disappointment that her deposition was not conducted publicly. “I want to see the truth come out,” she said.

Ahead of the hearing in Chappaqua, New York, Clinton released her opening statement on social media, firmly denying any involvement with Epstein or his convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. She stated that she did not recall meeting Epstein, never flew on his plane, and did not visit his island, homes or offices.

Clinton acknowledged in a recent BBC interview that she had encountered Maxwell “on a few occasions,” including at her daughter Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in 2010.

During her remarks, Clinton urged lawmakers to require former President Donald Trump to testify under oath, noting that his name appears in documents released by the United States Department of Justice as part of broader disclosures related to Epstein. She emphasised that being named in the documents does not imply wrongdoing.

Both the Clintons and Trump have denied any misconduct connected to Epstein.

Clinton’s testimony followed an initial effort by her and former President Bill Clinton to resist the committee’s subpoena, which they described as politically motivated. They later agreed to appear as potential contempt-of-Congress proceedings loomed. Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify before the panel on Friday.

The proceedings were briefly interrupted after a photograph from inside the closed-door hearing was leaked. Democratic lawmakers accused Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of breaching committee rules by sharing the image. Clinton later said her team paused the session to ensure proper procedures were followed.

Democratic members characterised the deposition as repetitive, with Congressman Robert Garcia calling for the full transcript to be released within 24 hours and reiterating calls for Trump’s testimony.

Committee Chairman James Comer said Clinton answered most questions but acknowledged that some responses did not fully satisfy members. He maintained that the investigation seeks clarity about prominent figures linked to Epstein.

The Justice Department has released millions of pages of documents relating to Epstein’s federal investigations, detailing his extensive connections across political, business and social circles. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Bill Clinton has previously said he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes and severed ties with him years earlier. His appearance before the committee will mark the first time since 1983 that a former U.S. president has testified before a congressional panel.